Watch: Relax Taser And Pepper Spray Rules For Police Facing Large Fights, MP Alex Borg Urges
PN MP Alex Borg has called for a change in the law to allow police officers to resort to tasers and pepper spray when faced with large fights of unarmed people.
In an interview with Lovin Malta, Borg said that police officers cannot currently use weapons to control fights unless the fighters are armed themselves.
“They will have to call for backup because if the people opposing them are unarmed, they cannot use any form of weapon… they can only use the same level of force as is being used against them,” he said.
“Obviously, there is certain force and certain force. If an unarmed person is fighting against a police officer, we don’t except the officer to use weapons. However, if the officer is faced with an overwhelming number of people who are fighting against them, they should rest assured that they won’t be held responsible if they use pepper spray or a taser.”
“I think a lot of discussion should be held in this sphere in order for our police officers to work properly and rest assured that whenever they are working, they won’t be held responsible for any acts they do.”
Since getting elected to Parliament last March, Borg has often called for Gozo to be equipped with police officers and intends to meet with police commissioner Angelo Gafa to discuss the issue.
“All the police sections in Malta should be in Gozo too,” he said, warning that police officers in Gozo cannot bring in backup from other districts like their Malta-based peers can, and claiming that only two Drug Squad officers are currently stationed on the island.
“Gozo has had a multicultural shock, and social cases are being brought over from Malta, so we have seen an influx of problems, an influx of certain criminality and an influx of fighting in Gozo,” he said.
“Obviously the police force needs to be better equipped – not just with weapons and whatever but even in human resources. Police human resources in Gozo are lacking. I’ve spoken to several police officers in Gozo who voiced their concern with all the overtime they’re working.
“They cannot even take leave because they won’t have someone to substitute them. This is a problem which isn’t just affecting the people in Gozo but the police force too, because they don’t have time to take leave or sick leave.”
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